1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to waterfall features, and in particular, relates to a portable decorative waterfall feature that is designed to be installed in front of a fireplace.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many modern homes have fireplaces, even in climates in which there are many months when it is too warm and the fireplace is not comfortable to use. Most fireplaces are built into the house and require a substantial amount of space, limiting the amount of space available in the room for other decorative features. Fireplaces themselves are not easy to decorate or alter in appearance to add variety to a room. When the fireplace is not being used for a fire, especially for long periods, such as in the summer months during warmer weather, the homeowner may wish to have another point of interest in the same area of the room as the fireplace, but be limited because of the space taken up by the fireplace.
Many homeowners also enjoy having water features around and in the home. A number of inventors have endeavored to provide a water-feature to be positioned in fireplaces or near to fireplaces.
For example, the inventions in the patent and patent application of Coughlin (U.S. Pat. No. 6,901,925 and U.S. Patent Application 2003/0084897) allow viewing of the fire in a fireplace at the same time as a waterfall that is falling in front of the fireplace. As part of the fireplace there is a trough containing a plumbing assembly in front of or around the fire box of a fireplace and piping for passing water up to and though an opening in a hood positioned above the fire box. Nozzles are used to adjust the trajectory of the water.
The patent and patent application of Grady et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,790,033 and U.S. Patent Application 2003/0041855) provide a fireplace fountain in which liquid held in a basin is pumped through a supply tube to perforated tubing in a hood so that the liquid exits the perforated tubing and falls into the basin but not into a fire supported over the basin and under the hood.
The patent application of Wheeler (U.S. Patent Application No. 2007/0023032) provides a waterfall device that may be used independent of or in conjunction with a fireplace, and resembles a fireplace hearth comprising a mantel assembly with mantel columns having a shelf on them plus a base member. The waterfall system is disposed within the mantel columns for flowing and transporting water from a first compartment to a dispensing assembly.
In addition to the devices discussed above, there are also, various devices which combine fire and water, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,175,424 and U.S. Patent Application No. 2004/0261780 of Frink et al. (patio heater fire sculpture having the appearance of a twisting flame within a waterfall); and U.S. Patent Application No. 2008/0308645 of Presley et al. (a fire and water system with flowing water and a visible flame both within a support structure so that the fire and water are juxtaposed).
The prior fireplace-waterfall features are generally not portable at all or not easily portable. Many prior inventions essentially permanently convert a fireplace to a waterfall feature or permanently combine the two features.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a waterfall feature that is portable and may be used to temporarily convert the appearance of a fireplace to a decorative waterfall, bringing a relaxing and fresh environment to the room.
Other objects and advantages will be more fully apparent from the following disclosure and appended claims.